Love so Sweet
by Crysalice Bell
Summary: Ryoma's family is poor but they save up money so he can attend a famous school but he has to go as a girl to find a rich guy to help them.But his disguise is trouble,getting involved with naughty boys who rule students.Is love,like trouble for them,sweet?
1. Beginning of a Scheme

Hi to everyone! This is CrystalKitten-MeW (Crys for short) and I'm presenting you my second Prince of Tennis fanfic!

This is a Humor/Romance story. I won't tell the pairing yet. Though this is shounen-ai, I warn you if you don't like those. I have to admit that I'm not really good at humor but I'll try. And also this is Alternate Universe (AU) so Ryoma, is 15 years old and in 1st year senior high. Tezuka, Fuji etc. and those of the same age as them are 16 (rather than 17 if you take into account their real age in the anime). As for Momo and Kaidou, they're also 16 but… they won't be classmates with Tezuka and Fuji etc. (Oh no! A spoiler!) I won't give away anymore spoilers but you'll find out soon. Also Ryoga is here and he's 17 years old going on 18, having just graduated from high school. (Am I right?)

By the way, if you have read my first PoT story entitled "Grant my Wish" and if you're observant enough, you might spot some similarities between this story and that.

I hope you enjoy the story!

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**Note: I watched the whole Prince of Tennis series on a Japanese-dubbed, English-subtitled DVD so please bear with me if I accidentally add Japanese honorifics to the characters' names.**

**Bold- **English

_Italics-_ Flashback

'Dialogue'- Thoughts

"Dialogue"- Spoken Dialogue

**Oh yeah, I have to add that I'm currently busy with schoolwork so updates won't happen very often… But I try to update once a week, specifically Friday or Saturday so check those days out.**

**Unya, just so you know, to all those who reviewed, messages for you from me will always be found at the end of the chapter, in my ending author's note! Thanks to all reviewers!**

**Complete Summary: (AU) Ryoma's family is very poor but they save up money so that he can attend the prestigious Ryuuren Academy. The catch is that he has to dress up as a girl so that he can find a rich heir to make their life better. But his little charade gets him in trouble in Ryuuren with a group of mischievous rich boys who reign over the students. For them, trouble is sweet. But with Ryoma's appearance, will they consider love to be sweet as well?**

Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis.

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**Love so Sweet**

**CHAPTER 1: Beginning of a Scheme**

Somewhere in an apartment in Tokyo lives the very poor Echizen family. They were so poverty-stricken that their place was practically falling apart but they manage to get through life. However, right now, they were in quite… a distressing situation.

"YADDA!"

"But… Ryoma…"

"Okaa-san! Oyaji! I absolutely won't wear that… that THING…"

"Seishonen! This isn't just a thing! You'll look cute in this!"

"YADDA!"

At the moment, Nanjirou and Rinko Echizen were persuading their youngest son Ryoma to try wearing… SOMETHING.

Nanjirou gave an exasperated sigh. "Seishonen, look. Life has been hard for us. If you do this, you might meet someone who can help us."

"But… I can do that without having to wear… THAT!" Ryoma pointed at the SOMETHING.

"You'll have a hard time doing that as you are. You need to wear that to, you know, increase your chances? You might just snag some rich guy. Though I would have preferred you get a cute girl for me to see, I have to set aside my wishes for the betterment of our life and… OUCH!"

Rinko was pulling his ear with a dangerous smile on her face. "What were you saying, dear?"

"Ah-hahaha… Nope, nothing, Rinko," he calmed his wife.

The door slowly opened and in came a boy with green hair and narrow golden eyes. "Chibisuke, they're right, you know," he said with a teasing smile.

Ryoma frowned. "Aniki…"

Rinko smiled. "Ryoga! Have you found work?"

"Yup! I'll be working near the beach, where oyaji works so I'll be fine." He turned to his younger brother with a Cheshire grin. "Now, Chibisuke, from what I can hear, you're not cooperating with our little scheme. Heh… If you don't want to wear it, then I will put it on you!" He grabbed Ryoma by the hand and carried the SOMETHING with him. They disappeared into a room.

"ANIKI! YADDA! I don't want to wear it! It's so embarrassing!"

"Chibisuke, come on!"

A few minutes later…

Ryoga snickered as he came out of the room. He gestured to the door. "Ta-da! Representing Chibisuke in his new uniform!"

Nanjirou and Rinko blinked. Seconds pass… Another few seconds… And another…

"Er, Ryoga? What's taking seishonen so long?" Nanjirou asked.

"Eh? Um…" Ryoga sweatdropped. He went inside the room. "Chibisuke! Don't be ashamed!" he said in a sing-song voice. He dragged a very flushed and embarrassed-looking Ryoma wearing the SOMETHING out of the room.

Ryoga sniggered as he took another good look at his little brother.

Nanjirou's eyes sparkled with mischief and he snickered.

Rinko giggled at her son's cuteness but when she practically saw the rotating gears in her husband's head that seemed to be concocting trouble, she pulled his ear.

Ryoma wished the earth would swallow him. No, anything was fine, as long as he can hide from the earth because of the humiliation he was feeling.

"Hehe… Ahahhahahahahha!" Ryoga laughed. "Chibisuke, you look so cute in a… in a… GIRL'S UNIFORM!"

This made Ryoma go red even more.

He was wearing a white collared blouse with 5 buttons in front from top to bottom and a blue string tied up in a ribbon on the chest. The collar had blue and gold linings. The sleeves have one blue and one gold stripe running from the shoulder to the wrist. In the upper right part of the front was a logo that looked like a golden shield. Across the shield was a blue flag. Below the shield were the words "Ryuuren Academy".

Ryoma looked down, blushing. He was wearing a knee-length blue skirt with a gold strip on the hem. He had short white socks and white rubber shoes that had a wavy sky blue design. He shifted a bit awkwardly, making his long green hair that reached the shoulder level sway a little. His round golden eyes darted from side to side.

He reached for his hair and some of it came off, revealing that the length was part of a wig and that he really had short hair; he almost looked like Ryoga except that his eyes were round instead of narrow and that he was shorter.

"I don't like this… It's so embarrassing…" he muttered.

"Oh, I think you look cute, Ryoma," his mother smiled.

"No, I don't, okaa-san!" was the reply.

Ryoga grinned. "You'll get used to it, Chibisuke! After all, that what you'll wear for the whole school year! You're lucky to be studying in Ryuuren! It's an exclusive school where most of the rich heirs of companies study, you know!"

"I don't consider myself lucky if I have to study there as a girl…"

Nanjirou laughed. "Ahahaha! Look here, seishonen, we're poor. How can you realize your dream of becoming a tennis professional? The three of us will work overtime so that we will be able to pay your tuition there. If you go there, you might meet someone who can 'help us make our life better', don't you think?" He winked.

Rinko added, "We know it's hard for you, Ryoma but we all need to cooperate if we are to survive in life."

"But I don't need to do this. Can't I just work instead?"

"No, Ryoma. You're still young. And you have a bright future ahead of you. We don't want you to waste your life at work. Anyway, take your clothes off now. I need to wash them so that you will look good on your first day of school tomorrow. Oh, Ryoma, I can't believe you're in high school now!" Rinko said as she hugged her son.

"Okaa-san!"

"Oh, sorry," Rinko apologized as she let go of Ryoma. "Go change your clothes."

"Hai." Ryoma dashed off into the room.

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Ryoma was in deep thought as he removed his uniform. He sighed as he took off his shoes.

He still can't believe that he will spend his high school days as a girl! It was the scheme cooked up by his oyaji. He was amazed that even his mother went along with it. Perhaps because she couldn't think up of anything else. Or maybe she was quite desperate, fearing that they will all starve to death from poverty. He couldn't figure it out.

He'd rather jump in a pool of lava than go to a prestigious academy dressed up as a girl. But still, he felt a little guilty about his family's sacrifice for him. Ryoga didn't even go to college just so that he can work. His okaa-san and oyaji were working doubly hard too.

Ryuuren Academy had a very expensive tuition fee; it was, after all, the most prominent high school in Tokyo, attended mostly by rich heirs of companies and well-to-do families.

But he was not one of those wealthy kids. In fact, he was the opposite. But his family insisted on that scheme his oyaji plotted and tried their best to make ends meet.

He didn't have any choice as the first day of school was TOMORROW.

What he was tasked to do was find a rich guy that will pay for their expenses. But he knew that his oyaji was thinking along the lines that the guy will be his BOYFRIEND.

Jeez. His oyaji really was childish.

'_Still, I don't think any rich guy from Ryuuren was ever going to like, no, even approach a poor guy-pretending-to-be-a-girl like me.'_

He straightened his plain white T-shirt and red boxer shorts. Then he heard his mother's voice. "Ryoma! Dinner time!"

"Hai!" he replied and got out of the room. As he grasped the doorknob, he looked back at his new uniform and sighed.

'_I have a bad feeling about this. It's like something's gonna go wrong when I enter Ryuuren…'_

His thoughts, however, were interrupted by his brother's voice: "Oy, Chibisuke! What's taking so long? If you don't come out, I'll eat up your share of the food!"

"Ahhh! Don't you dare, Aniki!" He burst out of the room.

Little did he know that by entering Ryuuren, he could be in for the biggest joyride of his life.

To be continued…

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**Nya! How is it? I'll gladly receive suggestions and comments for the improvement of the story from you, readers!**

**By the way, if you don't understand the Japanese words (I only know a few, to be honest), here's the translation:**

**-'Yadda' means 'No way'**

**-'Okaa-san' means 'Mother'**

**-'Oyaji' means 'Father'**

**-'Seishonen' means 'young boy'**

**-'Chibisuke' is a term used by Ryoga for Ryoma. I can't exactly remember what it means but I think it's 'little kid or little boy'. I'm not sure. As I said, I only know a few words.**

**-'Aniki' means 'big brother'. Though the word 'Aniue' means the same, I like 'Aniki' better.**

**-'Hai' means 'Yes.'**

**Thank you for reading and reviewing the story!**

**All right then, here's a little challenge to those who have read my first PoT story 'Grant my Wish' and this one. Do you spot the similarities? I can already spot 3 similarities that will probably increase as the story progresses. However, those three can be found in my starting author's note and the summary at the top. See if you can spot them!  
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**Well, to those who haven't read 'Grant my Wish', I wonder if the fact that this story has 'four rich boys reigning over the students' sparks a certain anime or live drama in your mind. Does it?**

**See ya in the next chapter!**

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	2. The Red Ball

Hi! Crys here! It's the second chapter of Love so Sweet! Hope you enjoy it!

I'm sorry if the update is late. I had my exams just this week and I couldn't even approach the computer, let alone update. I'm sorry. But, have no fear, here it is!

Also, I changed the rating of this story from K+ to T. Cross-dressing makes Ryoma go whacko. Hehehe…

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**Bold- **English

_Italics-_ Flashback

'Dialogue'- Thoughts

"Dialogue"- Spoken Dialogue

Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis.

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**Love so Sweet**

**CHAPTER 2: The Red Ball**

Ryoma cursed every step, or, should I say, every movement he made towards Ryuuren Academy.

And no, it's not because he hated waking up early. Nor was it the fact that he was formally entering his high school life as a girl or that he was wearing a girl's uniform, although the reason was somewhere near that.

He was currently wearing that cursed piece of clothing from hell (according to him) called… bra.

Hah! Your initial thought would be, 'He's a boy! Why would he wear that?' or 'Ryoma would never even agree to wear that!'

Well, let's go back to the past a bit, shall we?

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_Ryoma sighed as he emerged from the bathroom, water dripping off him and from the towel draped over his shoulder. He thanked God that at least their bathroom was a bit okay, in contrast to the other parts of their apartment which were practically falling apart._

_As he made his way to his room (which was also falling apart), he found his Aniki reclining on the door, his hands behind him._

_Ryoga smiled. "Ohayou, Chibisuke!"_

"_Ohayou… What are you doing, standing by the door? Don't you have to go to work?"_

"_Oh no! I'm just here to tell you that I've got something for you in your room."_

"_Yeah, fine. Just move over 'cause you're blocking the door."_

_Ryoga stepped aside. "Ah, of course, Chibisuke. Anyway, I hope you enjoy my present!"_

"_Whatever." Ryoma opened the door and went inside. _

_Ryoga smirked. He started counting to ten, knowing that something interesting was going to happen at the count of ten._

_One._

_Two._

_Three._

_Four._

_Five._

_Six._

_Se-_

"_ANIKI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" The house shook at the intensity of the shout; dust and bits of wood fell from the ceiling._

_Ryoma burst out of the room. "What's the meaning of this?!"_

_Ryoga laughed. 'That was quite unexpected. He reacted faster than I thought he would...' "Why, Chibisuke? Don't you like it?"_

"_Like it?! Why would I like it? This is a BRA, Aniki! Girls wear this, not boys! Why would you give it to me? And why is it on top of my school uniform, of all places?"_

_Ryoma's shouting had called the attention of his okaa-san and oyaji who had come from wherever they were and in front of his room._

_His oyaji arrived, saying, "Oy, seishonen! What are you shouting there for? You're waking up our neighbors, you know."_

_Rinko ushered, "Ryoma, is something the matter?"_

"_Okaa-san! Oyaji! Aniki is making me wear a bra, of all things! Why should I?"_

_It was Ryoga who answered, "Well, you are dressing up as a girl… So, don't you think that you'll look more convincing as a girl if you wear that?"_

"_I don't care! I don't want to wear it! I'm throwing it out!" Ryoma protested._

_Ryoga smiled mischievously. "Is that so, Chibisuke? Then you don't mind if I throw this away, too, don't you?" He showed the object he was hiding behind him._

_Ryoma's eyes widened. He gulped._

"…_Fine. I'll wear it."_

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Ryoma sighed. He didn't want to wear the bra. It was restraining and tight. He wondered how girls were able to cope up with it. If only his aniki didn't threaten to throw away his beloved racket, he would never have…

He stopped walking and looked out the front gates of a huge building. Students were entering through a huge gate in pairs, groups or by themselves. There were girls wearing the same uniform as him.

Boys, on the other hand, wore a white polo with blue and gold linings in the same style as the girls' uniform inside their blue collared strait jacket that had a golden lining too. The jacket was open in a V on the front, showing their tie, with two buttons closing the jacket in the lower part. On the upper right part of the jacket was a logo. They wore long blue pants with pockets on both sides. Just like the girls, they wore white rubber shoes but theirs had a straight golden line design instead.

Ryoma wished he was wearing that uniform instead. But he couldn't. He sighed again adjusting his quite-new tennis bag slung over his shoulder. That bag was what his parents gifted him with during his graduation from junior high. He was glad they did though because his old one that he used during his junior high days was worn out.

He looked at the building again. It was quite enormous; a huge carving of the logo adorned the inset front part. A large circular clock was placed below it but the clock was smaller in comparison. The building was painted beige with a pair of blue and gold stripes on both sides of the logo and clock.

Meanwhile the gate was huge as well. It was colored blue and it was made up of diagonally intersecting bars. In an arc style on top were the words "Ryuuren Academy", emblazoned in a golden hue.

Ryuuren Academy…

He was finally here. He walked inside the campus. The path from the open gate was straight towards the entrance of the building but he could see the gardens located on either side of the way where some students were lounging on. There were some cemented tables and chairs in the gardens. He continued walking towards the building as he needed to know where his classroom was.

As he walked, he could hear the chattering of many students.

"Hey, found out where your classroom is?"

"Oh no! I forgot my history book!"

"Eek! Who touched me?"

"Here's your bag! Catch it, will you?"

"I wonder if that old grumpy teacher is still here."

"Man, Geometry lessons are going to be a nightmare…"

"B-I-G News! A couple's kissing under T1!

"Why is your boyfriend over at the basketball court, huh?"

"Can I borrow your gym shoes?

"Why haven't the Four Gods arrived yet?"

"Yeah! That's right! And he said…"

"Did you hear? There's this freshman who was said to have come from a poor family! Do you know who that is?"

Ryoma winced a bit at the last statement he heard. That supposed freshman was probably him. His poor parents were the only ones crazy enough to send their son to an exclusive school.

He ignored other chatters and proceeded to look at a huge (I mean, REALLY HUGE) bulletin board where classroom assignments were posted.

He scanned carefully for his name. And found it. He was in Class 1-A. A room on the 1st floor of the school, it was Room #105.

Remembering the time from the clock outside, he deduced that class was bound to start soon so he hurried to find his classroom. However, as he turned around in an attempt to go, he nearly bumped into a girl who was walking forward. Good thing, he had quick reflexes from his playing of tennis and moved away in time.

The girl, who had long brown hair in twin braids, panicked a bit and bowed, "Ah! I'm sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going!" 

"Ah… It's all right. Don't worry about it," Ryoma replied.

The girl looked at him, seemingly scanning him and Ryoma twitched a bit. 'Can she see through my disguise?'

But the girl just smiled and said, "You're a freshman too, aren't you? Me too! Um… my name's Ryuzaki Sakuno. What's yours?"

"M-me? Echizen Ryoma."

"Is that right? So, which class are you in? Have you checked the bulletin board yet?"

"Well, I'm in Class 1-A."

"Really? We're classmates, then. Want to walk with me to class?"

Ryoma pondered a bit. Did she already know the ways around the new school? Well, he didn't know anyway so he might as well go with a companion. He didn't want to spend the whole morning of his first day of school looking for his classroom. So he said, "Okay."

"Um…"

"Huh? What is it?"

"Do you mind if I call you Ryoma-chan?"

"Hah?" Ryoma's eyes widened a bit in shock.

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Ryoma was surprised at first but then he remembered that he was dressed as a girl so…

"I don't mind."

She smiled. "You can call me Sakuno."

"If you want to."

Soon, they reached a classroom door marked Room #105 and a 1-A plaque stuck on it.

Sakuno opened the door and they entered the classroom. The blackboard and the teacher's table were in front and there were 5 rows and 5 columns of desks. He walked over to an empty desk located on the 3rd row of the 4th column, near the window. Sakuno sat behind him.

Their other classmates were chatting but when they entered the room, the others looked at them. Some boys were staring at Ryoma. He twitched a bit at their gaze. 'What are they staring at?'

He didn't know that the reason they were gawking at him was because he didn't realize how girlish he looked. (You get the idea?)

Some of the boys tried to approach Ryoma but were interrupted by the arrival of their homeroom teacher so they all scrambled to their seats.

Their homeroom teacher appeared to be a man in his 30s; he was wearing a blue collared polo and black pants with a golden strip from the pocket to the hem of the pants. It appeared to be the teacher's uniform of Ryuuren as the logo was stamped on the upper right part of the polo.

"Ohayou, class. I'm Mikagami Youichi, your homeroom teacher. Welcome to Class 1-A of Ryuuren Academy. I hope we can have a good school year."

"Anyway, since this is your first day of school as freshmen, there won't be any lessons yet. Instead, you'll introduce yourselves in front of class. Is that clear?"

"Hai, sensei." They answered in unison.

One by one, the students stood up and introduced themselves in front. Ryoma was feeling particularly bored. The day drawled on with his classmates talking in front, although one boy named Horio Satoshi pissed him off a bit because said boy bragged for a whole 15 minutes about his supposed "two years of tennis experience". Ryoma so wanted to stand up, go in front and shove the boy outside to make him stop but he didn't want to make a scene. Good thing his teacher stopped Horio by saying that he had introduced himself far enough and that there were others waiting. Good point.

Another thing was bugging him was the continuous gaping of the boys. They were staring intently at him for who-knows-what reason. Every time he catches them staring at him, they quickly look a way in panic, whistling a random tune.

"Next, Echizen Ryoma," Mikagami-sensei's voice rang out.

"Hai," Ryoma stood up.

As he walked towards the front, he could still sense the boys ogling at him. What was their problem?

He stood in front. "My name is Echizen Ryoma, age 15. I enjoy playing tennis and I like Science. That is all."

He took a low bow and as he straightened up, he was greeted by the sight of boys drooling.

'Why?'

Shrugging it off, he returned to his seat and the day droned on.

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Later on, the first day of classes ended. Ryoma started arranging his things when he was approached by the guy named Horio with two other guys. "Hi, Echizen!" he greeted. "I'm…"

"I already know who you are", Ryoma cut him off. He was sure the guy would start bragging again. "You're Horio, right?" Then he turned to the other boys. "Kachiro and Katsuo?"

"Ah, that's right," said the two boys.

"Ryoma-chan…"

Ryoma turned around to find Sakuno behind him. "What is it, Sakuno?"

"Um… I was wondering if you're free this afternoon."

"Yeah, I am. Why?" 

"If it's not too much of a bother to you, can you accompany me to the school tennis courts?"

"Hmm… Is that so? Sure," he replied as he picked up his tennis bag. Then he turned back to the three boys, "See you tomorrow then." He and Sakuno walked away.

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The three watched them go out the door. Kachiro spoke up, "Ne, Horio-kun, what were you going to say to Echizen?"

"Tennis."

Katsuo looked confused. "Tennis?"

"Never mind…"

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Ryoma and Sakuno walked towards the direction of the tennis courts. "Ne, Sakuno," he asked, "How come you're familiar with the place? Isn't it your first time here?"

"Oh… No. You see, my grandma is the boys' tennis club coach and I've often visited her here. In fact, the reason why we're going to the tennis courts is because I want to ask her something," Sakuno replied.

"Eh… So that's why."

"That's right." Then she saw a vending machine. "Um… Ryoma-chan, do you mind if I buy a drink first? I'm quite thirsty."

"No. Me too."

They strode over to the vending machine. Sakuno bought an orange juice while Ryoma got himself a grape-flavored Ponta.

Opening his can, Ryoma gulped a bit. Pretty soon, they reached the boys' tennis courts and Ryoma nearly spat out his juice in awe at seeing how large the courts were.

There were at least ten tennis courts and each one was well-maintained. They walked around a bit until they reached a particular tennis court where a quite-old woman was telling players off to speed up and keep their pace. Ryoma assumed she was Sakuno's grandmother.

They entered through the gate and the sound of the gate opening called the attention of everyone. Sakuno's grandmother told the players to resume practice as she approached Sakuno.

"Well, if it isn't Sakuno. Are you doing fine?" she smiled.

"Hai, obaa-san."

"Oh, and who's this girl with you?"

Ryoma trembled a little at the word 'girl'.

Sakuno smiled, "Obaa-san, this is Echizen Ryoma. She's my classmate."

"My name is Echizen Ryoma. Nice to meet you," Ryoma bowed, twitching a bit on hearing 'she'.

"Ah. I'm Ryuzaki Sumire, coach of the boys' tennis club. By the way, Sakuno, is there something you need?"

"Obaa-san, I think I left some of my things in your office this morning."

"Oh, yes, you did. Don't worry, they're still there. I'll get it."

"Arigato, obaa-san."

"You're welcome," then she turned to a senior on the court and raised her voice, "Ojiro-fukubuchou! I'll leave you in charge for a while. I'll just go to my office. I'll be back soon enough."

"Hai, sensei!" a guy with short blue-green hair and dark brown eyes replied.

Ryoma and Sakuno sat down on one of the benches. Sakuno drank her orange juice while Ryoma continued sipping on his Ponta. When he finished, he set his can down beside him. Then he reached for his bag and took out his red racket and started checking his strings.

Sakuno asked, "Do you plan on joining the tennis club?"

"Well, not really," Ryoma replied.

"Why?"

"I just don't want to."

"Oh."

The truth was, Ryoma thought, he didn't want to join the GIRLS' tennis club simply because he was a BOY. Got it?

As Ryoma checked his strings, he heard two second-years chatting nearby.

One of them spoke up, "Hey, did you hear? Tezuka-buchou was injured during vacation. His left arm's in a cast, they say."

His companion replied, "That's true; that's why isn't here in practice today. What do you reckon happened to him?"

"No idea. But if his arm's in a cast, it's got to be serious."

"Yeah, you're right."

Then the two guys, still talking, started walking towards the direction where Ryoma and Sakuno were. Sakuno stood up, still drinking, and made to walk towards the gate. The two guys still engrossed in their conversation didn't notice Sakuno and bumped into her back, causing her to stumble forwards and spill her juice on the shirt of an approaching player.

When Sakuno realized what happened, she bowed and apologized to the person. When she looked up to see who she spilled juice on, she was startled and terrified.

When the tennis players saw who it was, they stopped playing, stunned, with looks of horror in their faces.

When Ryoma looked at everyone, he had no idea why they were all acting like that.

Some whispered, "Oh no… Not him…"

"Saa… My shirt is quite expensive, you know. But you stained it. That's not nice," said a smiling, brown-haired guy who had closed eyes.

"I'm really sorry, Fuji-senpai! It's just that someone pushed me from behind…"

"My, my… Are you making up excuses now?"

"N-no… It's the truth, senpai!"

Ryoma frowned at the guy. He was smiling but it seemed quite menacing and creepy. Furthermore, he sounded like he was angry at what Sakuno did but he was enjoying the moment of terrorizing Sakuno. Who the heck was this guy? Before he could ponder, he felt his eardrums get blasted by some yells.

"KYAAA! Who are you and how dare you stain Fuji-sama's clothes!"

"You'll pay for that, you kohai!"

"EEYAAAA! Fuji-sama!"

Ryoma looked at the fangirls screaming from beyond the gates. (From out of nowhere? When did they get there?)

The guy called Fuji said, "Well? What are you going to do about it?"

"I… I…"

"Well?"

A guy with silver-gray hair approached, "Oy, Fuji. What's going on here?"

"Ah, Atobe!" Fuji smiled at Atobe. "Well, it's just that someone stained my clothes…"

"But… I didn't do it on purpose…"

A new set of fangirls (from out of nowhere, again) were shouting, "Atobe-sama! Atobe-sama! Atobe-sama!"

Fuji turned his attention back to Sakuno. "Now, what about this? You know, you could always pay for it. 6,000 yen will do, I suppose."

"Eh? But why do I have to pay for it?"

Ryoma stood up; racket tucked under his arm, and approached the scene. He looked intently at Fuji and said, "You're lying."

Everyone's attention turned to him.

"Judging by the looks of your shirt, it probably doesn't even cost more than 500 yen. Yet you're asking for 10 times of it. In fact, why are you even asking for payment? It's just a stain on your shirt. You can easily get rid of that; you're rich, aren't you? You're doing this just for the attention. Instead of making a scene here, why don't you go home and have it removed, you immature show-off?"

The fangirls gasped. The tennis players froze and dropped their rackets. Sakuno looked stunned beyond words.

Fuji frowned and opened his eyes. Blue eyes met golden orbs. Then he smiled, "That's not the proper way to speak to your senpai."

"And that's not the proper way to act as senpai. You act like a grade-school student," Ryoma retorted.

Ryoma's reply sent everyone in shocked mode again. He frowned. 'Why were they so afraid?'

The fangirls' squeals broke the silence. "EEEEYAAAAH! How dare you! Insolent kohai! How could you insult Fuji-sama, the leader of the Four Gods?"

'Four Gods'? Ryoma thought. Didn't he hear that from one of the conversations this morning? What were the Four Gods anyway?

He turned to Sakuno who was still looking shocked and asked, "What are the Four Gods?"

Sakuno was a bit startled but managed to answer Ryoma, "Well, they're a foursome group of boys who are the richest in the school. They reign over the students. One of them is Atobe-senpai. Their leader is Fuji-senpai, the son and heir of the Fuji Companies, who owns this school."

"Eh… So that's it…" he turned back to Fuji, "That's you, isn't it?"

Fuji smiled. "That's right. I'm Fuji Syuusuke."

Ryoma gave a bratty smirk. "Well, it doesn't matter to me who you are; you piss me off with your childish attitude."

Silence reigned over the courts again. And it was once more, broken by fangirl screams.

"YOU!"

"Someone spilling juice on Fuji-sama's shirt is bad enough but you insulting him is much more unforgivable!"

"EEEEYAAAH! Fuji-sama!"

To everyone's shock, Fuji simply turned back and started walking.

Atobe frowned. 'That's odd. Fuji won't let such an insult to him pass. He would have immediately done 'that'. Why is he just walking away?'

He looked at Ryoma.

'Maybe because the one who insulted him is a girl… After all, he has never done 'that' to a girl before…'

Fuji had stopped in front of his tennis bag and opened it. He began rummaging through its contents and at last, pulled out a red tennis ball.

At the sight of the object Fuji pulled out of the bag, varying reactions appeared in everyone's faces.

The fangirls were rendered speechless.

The tennis players, with their rackets on the ground, found nothing else to drop, so they dropped their jaws instead with their eyes wide in astonishment.

Atobe looked as shocked as the tennis players. 'Fuji… You can't be serious… You're really going to… A girl…'

Sakuno looked frozen by fear on the spot.

Ryoma wondered what the hell was with that red ball. Was it a bomb or something, that's why everyone looked like they've seen a ghost?

Fuji bounced the ball, snapping everyone out of their trance. Everyone watched as Fuji served the red tennis ball to Ryoma.

They all watched in fear for Ryoma. To their amazement, however, Ryoma caught it neatly with the face of his racket held in his right hand and let it slide to his left hand. He stared at it. "What is this supposed to mean?"

Everyone cringed. How could Ryoma accept the ball so calmly?

Fuji replied, "A proof of my challenge to you as one of the Four Gods."

"What challenge?"

"War."

"What war?"

"Unless you apologize to me, I declare war against you," Fuji smiled cryptically.

Ryoma bounced the red ball lightly on the ground. "Is that so? Well, here's my answer." He threw the ball high in the air and served it to Fuji.

The ball bounced toward the ground in front of Fuji but then it suddenly bounced up towards his face. He just managed to dodge it in time.

The tennis players were taken by surprise at the shot Ryoma did.

Fukubuchou Ojiro remarked, "That was the Twist Serve, wasn't it?"

A member with spiky hair and square, foggy glasses opened a green notebook and spoke up, "Twist Serve. It's a serve with both topspin and side-spin which makes it bounce up towards the receiving player's face."

"Heh… Is that right, Inui?" Fuji then turned to Ryoma. "You're quite skilled, then."

"Save your breath; complimenting me won't do you any good."

"Maa… You're right. So what is your answer?"

Ryoma raised his racket and pointed it at Fuji. "I, Echizen Ryoma, accept your challenge. There's no way I'll ever apologize to you because I did nothing wrong. I was only stating the truth from my observations."

"Is that so? All right then," Fuji smiled.

Everyone shivered. This was not good.

Then they heard the gate open and Ryuzaki-sensei entered, carrying some books. She handed the books over to Sakuno. "What's going on in here? And why have you all stopped practicing?"

The tennis players quickly picked up their rackets and resumed practice. Ryoma quickly returned his racket in his bag. The fangirls remained quiet.

Ryuzaki-sensei looked at Fuji. "What happened here?"

Fuji replied with a cryptic smile gracing his lips, "A God's war has just officially begun…"

To be continued…

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**Whew! Quite a long chapter, wasn't it? So, how is it? Haha, I know Ryoma is clueless about what those boys were thinking. He doesn't realize how cute and adorable he is!**

**Um… By the way, I didn't mean Ryoga to be perverted about the bra part! He isn't a pervert!**

**By the way, an OC is the fukubuchou of the tennis team, not Oishi. You'll find out soon enough.**

**This is important: This story isn't RyoxSaku! If you think that just because Ryoma met Sakuno first and befriended her, that doesn't mean so! This is shounen-ai (boyxboy fluff) fic!**

**Nya! Everyone, I want to say sorry if some of you think that Ryoma, Ryoga and Sakuno are a bit OOC. I think Ryoma's cross-dressing has gotten to his brain and his character and Ryoga's not really the mischievous older brother type (or is he?) or that Sakuno is too bold to be introducing herself to Ryoma like that and not the shy type that she is at all but I don't want to make any more OCs than what I have already planned to enter the story. Anyway, they do fit the part a bit.**

**As for my OCs, they're not just in this chapter. And there won't be too many OCs in here. I think… No wait, there are quite a number of them. But I promise that none of them are one-show characters. They'll be playing many parts.**

**Here are some more Japanese translations to the words I typed:**

**-'Ohayou' means 'Good morning'**

**-'Sensei' means 'teacher' or 'coach'**

**-'Obaa-san' means 'grandmother'**

**-'Arigato' means 'thank you.' Well, 'Sankyuu' means the same.**

**-'Senpai' means 'Upperclassman'. Basically, it's a respectful honorific for someone studying in the same school as you but in a higher level.**

**-'Kohai' means 'underclassman'. It is used to call someone of lower year or grade than you in school.**

**-'sama' is the most respectful Japanese honorific. It is mostly used to give respect to older people. But it can be used by someone you idolize too. (I think…)**

**-'Buchou' means 'captain'**

**-'Fukubuchou' means 'vice-captain'.**

**-'Maa' and 'Saa' practically mean the same: 'So' or in some cases, it's used when pondering over something.**

**As for the others, their translations are in the previous chapter.**

**Thank you for reading and reviewing the story!**

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**---Messages to Reviewers:**

**--alaine**

-Really? Well, look, they DID gawk at him.

**--rebeccasanfujieijilvr**

-Yep! They certainly will!

**--Kisa, FanfictionLover, CharmingCandle**

-Thank you for reviewing!

**--Unable to Love, PochiMicky**

**-**Grant my Wish, eh? Yep, they're quite similar, really.

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**I'm not really familiar with how Japanese people spend their first day of school but I tried my best. But I'm having difficulty in adjusting the time flow of the story. So, I need help.**

**Can you please tell me what month they start and when they end it, too? It'll really help me! Thank you!**

**And also the Four Gods' introduction (I only mentioned two here but you can take a guess as to who the other two are if you like) and Ryoma's troubles will be the gist of the next chapter!**

**See ya in the next chapter!**

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	3. The Wrath of a God's Fury

Hi

Hi! This is Crys, posting the 3rd chapter of Love so Sweet.

(inhales…)

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I'M BUSTED!!

(sulks) I was planning to say this in the later chapters but… I can't believe almost everyone suspects as much… Fine… What inspired me to write this is Hana Yori Dango/Boys Over Flowers, as many of you suspected. Actually, the title was a clue already since "Love so Sweet" is the name of the season 2's opening song. Whoops! Don't sue me; I'm not finished yet. Though some scenes here in Love so Sweet (LSS) resemble Hana Yori Dango, only "some" do. Not all of them, I tell you. I never recall Tsukushi Makino to be a cross-dresser or that the F4 enjoy tennis. As I said, it did inspire me but I didn't and I never will, copy the whole plotline of Hana Yori Dango.

So please, I beg you, don't think that just because LSS is based loosely on Hana Yori Dango means there won't be any new moments. Of course there will be! Trust me on this, kay?

Now, on to the story…

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**Bold- **English

_Italics-_ Flashback

'Dialogue'- Thoughts

"Dialogue"- Spoken Dialogue

Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis.

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**Love so Sweet**

**CHAPTER 3: The Wrath of a God's Fury**

Currently, it was nighttime of Ryoma's first day in school. He was in their living room (that actually doubles as a dining room because of the lack of space). There was a small table in the middle of the room. There were worn-out chairs surrounding the rickety-looking table. Ryoma sat in one, bouncing a ball against the frame of his racket. His oyaji was reading the newspaper (with a porn magazine inside) across him. Rinko was making dinner in the kitchen. Ryoga was in his room.

Ryoma bounced the ball quite high but managed to make it land in the face of his racket effortlessly. Then he said, "Ne, oyaji…"

Nanjirou replied without looking up from his magazine, "What, seishonen?"

"Why… did you make me dress up as a girl?"

A few seconds of silence. Then his oyaji doubled up in laughter, almost dropping the magazine and the newspaper.

"What's so funny about me asking?" Ryoma asked, flushing.

"Ahahahahahahaha!" His oyaji continued to laugh.

Ryoma's face became clouded with worry. "Don't… don't tell me you just made up that scheme just so you could see me in a girl's dress?"

"Ahaha! Seishonen! I never thought you'd ask!"

"Well, then what?"

"Not telling, se-i-sho-nen! Find out for yourself! Ahaha!" Nanjirou replied as he stood up tucking his magazine and newspaper under his arm and went away to who-knows-where, leaving Ryoma frustrated.

"YOU DIDN'T ANSWER MY QUESTION! OYAJI!!"

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Ryoma was in very damp spirits as he made his way to Ryuuren. His oyaji never bothered to answer his question at all that night. Did his oyaji just want to make fun of him in a girl's dress? He sighed.

Then he felt something was wrong.

It was awfully quiet.

He glanced around. There weren't any other students entering Ryuuren! He was alone! 

Was he late? He shivered at the thought. He looked at the clock as he stopped in front of the school. 7:45 a.m. He was nowhere near late. Or was he too early?

(A/N: They start classes at 8:30, right? Or am I wrong?)

As he stepped into the campus, he felt that something bad was going to happen. The unusual silence was giving him the creeps. No sign of any students OR teachers for that matter. What was going on?

He shrugged off the tingling feeling and proceeded to the main building door… only to be drowned in a bucket of water.

"WHAT THE HECK?!"

His entire uniform was dripping wet, as well as his hair (luckily his wig didn't fall). And yes, even his bag was drenched.

Ryoma removed the bucket that fell on top of his head. But as he did so, balls pelted at him from all directions.

"AAAAH!" He started to run for his life.

'What in the blue blazes is going on?!'

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Ryoma panted, gasping for breath, as he pushed open the door that he first managed to get in.

He slumped to the floor, with his back on the wall. His hair was completely tousled; his uniform completely in disarray. He closed his eyes and sighed.

As he opened his eyes, he stared. He had entered the boys' comfort room. Thank God no one was there or he might have received… unnecessary stares.

But one thing was bugging his mind: What was going on?

He tried to at least look at his attackers while he ran and judging from what he saw, they were students.

'But why would they do this?'

Crreak… His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door opening. Sakuno came in.

"Ryoma-chan!" she shouted with worry in her face.

"Ah, Sakuno…" Ryoma replied in recognition.

"So this is where you've been hiding?" she asked.

"Uh, that's right… Anyway, can you tell me what's going on?"

Sakuno smiled bitterly. "Well, you see, it's the full brunt of Fuji-senpai's challenge to you."

"His challenge to me?" Ryoma raised an eyebrow.

"Well, he challenged you, didn't he? And you accepted it."

"Oh, that red ball?"

"Yes, that was it. And now, you're facing the wrath of one of the Four Gods' fury."

"But why does everyone attack me? Not just him?"

Sakuno sighed. "Didn't you know that Fuji-senpai's family owns this school?"

"NANI?!"

"That's right. So technically, the whole student body follows him."

"And?"

"And that's why challenging him is almost like challenging the whole student body. You're in big trouble, you know."

"…I don't care."

"Huh? But why?"

"Well, if I succumb to their pranks, the more they'll bully me, right? So I'm gonna fight back."

"But are you sure? If you're going to fight back, I might not be able to help you, sorry."

"Nah. I don't want you involved anyway. This is my fight. And even if you did want to help me, I won't let you."

"I'm really sorry."

"Don't worry about it. Now go before they attack you too."

"But what about class? It's going to start soon."

"Hmm… Maybe I'll skip this morning."

"But…"

"Just go, okay?"

"Er… All right."

Sakuno stood up with a worried look but she hurried outside anyway.

Ryoma took a deep breath, closing his eyes. When he opened them, blazing determination flared in his eyes.

'So this is your challenge, huh? I won't back down. Never.'

The door opened again. Ryoma thought Sakuno returned. However, as he prepared to tell her to return to class, he was surprised at the sight that greeted his eyes.

A tall, brunette with matching color eyes wearing transparent glasses entered the room. He was wearing Ryuuren's uniform but that's not what diverted Ryoma's attention.

It was the fact that the guy's left arm was in a cast.

The guy stared at Ryoma, taking in his obvious disheveled appearance.

"What are you doing here? This is the boys' comfort room," he asked in a deep, commanding yet calm voice.

Ryoma didn't know what to say.

The tall guy studied Ryoma further. Then he asked a question that made Ryoma wonder whether he was a psychic.

"Were you challenged by a member of the Four Gods?"

Ryoma froze. How did that guy know? "Er… Well, yeah…"

The bespectacled guy remained silent. Ryoma asked, "Um, if you don't mind me asking… who are you?"

"Tezuka Kunimitsu."

'Tezuka?' Ryoma wondered. Now where had he heard that name before?

Meanwhile, Tezuka was also in deep thought. 'Why are you challenging girls now, Fuji? Is your sadness over that accident still lingering in you?'

"Um…" Ryoma broke the silence. "Are you… a member of the tennis club?"

'How did he…' "That's right. I'm the captain."

'Ah, so I was right. He is the guy that those two were talking about yesterday…' Another question popped into his mind. "H-how did you know that I was challenged by one of the Four Gods?"

"Well, I know very well how a challenger looks like. I am one of the Four Gods after all." As he said that, he pulled out a green ball from his pocket.

'EHHHHH?!' Ryoma was shocked at that.

Tezuka then returned the ball to his pocket. "But I've never challenged anyone. Fuji always does though. And Atobe as well."

"Ah. I see."

"Anyway, you should get going. It won't do for anyone to find you in here and raise unnecessary questions."

"But I'll be pelted at again."

"No. Classes have already started. Students won't be in the corridors. You'll be safe. For now, though. But if you show yourself during lunch break and dismissal time, you'll be in trouble."

"Err… thanks for the advice." Ryoma said as he stood up. "But why are you telling me this? You're one of the Four Gods. Shouldn't you be helping Fuji instead?"

"I don't help him if his actions are unreasonable. Now you should go."

"Umm… Okay. And thanks," Ryoma said as he pushed the door open and went out of sight.

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Ryoma walked down the hallways, carefully avoiding anyone passing through. Tezuka was right; there weren't any students though teachers were making their way towards classrooms.

'Tezuka sure was kind. I'm surprised he's actually a member of the Four Gods!' He checked around to make sure the coast was clear. 'What should I do now? I can't barge in while class is going on. I have to wait for lunch break. But the students will be more likely to attack me by then.'

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Lunch bell rang. Students began leaving their rooms, chatting or preparing to go to the cafeteria.

Ryoma, on the other hand, took this time to approach Sakuno who was alone inside the classroom.

"Sakuno…"

"Ryoma-chan!"

"Ssh! Someone might hear, you know."

"Ah, sorry. Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. So how was class? Was Mikagami-sensei angry that I was absent?"

"No. He knew you were challenged. Don't worry, I'll tell you about the lessons later."

"Thanks. So even the teachers know?" 

"Of course. You're practically like a celebrity here. Well, only that the students attack you with balls."

"Shoot. And I was hoping to remain unknown so that people won't tease me for being poor…"

Sakuno became worried. "Of course they won't Ryoma-chan."

"Yeah. But why do the teachers allow this?"

"Maybe because Fuji-senpai's family owns this school?"

"You've got a point. So-"

The door suddenly slid open and in came three boys, obviously seniors. One of them saw Ryoma and pointed, "Hey look! It's that girl who got challenged by Fuji!"

Ryoma turned and saw them. He quickly dashed towards the opposite door because they chased him.

However, as he got outside the room and into the corridor, his appearance attracted the attention of the chatting students.

"Look! There she is!"

"She got away this morning! We've got to make sure she doesn't escape this time!"

"Get her!"

Ryoma didn't waste anymore time. He scrambled away with a horde of students behind him.

And luckily (or unluckily), he opened a door which he thought was an escape route.

A clatter of spoons and forks. The smell of food.

The cafeteria.

"Oh, you're here."

Ryoma froze at the voice. It was…

Fuji, who sat on a comfortable plush chair with Atobe and another guy beside him, smiled. "Echizen Ryoma. It's nice to see you."

"And it's NOT nice for me to see YOU of all people," Ryoma retorted, "what's the deal with sending the whole student body after me?"

Fuji cocked his head to one side. "Huh? Didn't you accept the challenge?"

"I did. But this was supposed to be between the two of us. Why involve everyone? Is it because you're afraid you can't beat me in a fair fight?"

Fuji smiled. "Oh, it's not because of that. This is the form of MY challenge. You accepted it so you were sure you could endure it, did you not? Or are you telling me that you're giving up? My, I never expected you would give up so easily."

"And who said I'm giving up? I never said anything like that!" Ryoma shouted.

"Is that so? Let's continue then." He snapped his fingers.

At the snap, students prepared to pelt at Ryoma again but the sudden opening of the cafeteria door and a deep voice that shouted "That's enough!" put the students to a halt.

Everyone looked at the newcomer. Ryoma gasped when he saw who it was.

"Tezuka!" the other boy beside Fuji yelled. He had short silver hair.

"Saeki." Tezuka replied calmly in recognition. Then he turned to Fuji and the "attackers". "This has gone far enough, Fuji."

Fuji frowned. "But this is my challenge, Tezuka."

Tezuka's tone became serious. "Fuji, about that _accident,_ venting your frustration on others won't help."

Fuji sighed and leaned back on his chair. He remained silent for a while.

Meanwhile, Ryoma was confused. What was that _accident?_ He knew it was not his business to know but it appears to have some connection with Fuji. 'What could it be?'

Then after a few minutes, Fuji spoke up, "Fine. Enough for today." He turned to Ryoma. "You're lucky that Tezuka interfered. Well, he probably pitied you a bit; you are the first girl who took on my challenge, after all."

He stood up and Atobe and Saeki followed suit. The students parted to the sides to make way for them as they went out of the cafeteria.

The students then left one by one though some remained to finish their lunch. Ryoma was left standing alone in the middle of the cafeteria, still in a daze over the latest events. Tezuka's tapping on his shoulder brought him to his senses.

He asked, "Are you all right?"

Ryoma blushed a bit in hearing Tezuka's worried voice. He couldn't believe how stupid he must have looked when he replied in a stuttering voice, "A-ah.. I-I'm just f-fine. T-thanks." Then he quickly left.

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Later that day, in Fuji's mansion which was definitely even bigger than the academy, Fuji, Atobe and Saeki were inside the living room, lounging around with drinks. Fuji lay down on a long couch. Atobe was sitting on a single plush divan basking in his drink. Saeki sat opposite him and beside the couch where Fuji lay, only he was reading a book and drinking at the same time.

Atobe lowered his glass. "Fuji, what do you think of that girl?"

"You mean Echizen Ryoma?"

Saeki set his book and glass down. "So I've heard. Well, I wasn't at practice yesterday but I've heard that you challenged that girl?"

"Yeah, that's right."

Saeki chuckled. "That's unusual of you. She has got to be the first girl you've ever challenged!"

"She is, Saeki. Didn't you hear Fuji say so, earlier?" Atobe pointed out.

Saeki rested his chin on his palm. "I'm curious, Fuji. Why did you do it? I know it's against your better judgment to challenge a girl."

"That's right, Fuji. I was really surprised when you did that yesterday. What pushed you to do it, hm?" Atobe asked.

Fuji drained his glass. Then he sat up and set the cup down on the center table. "I don't know either."

"Eh?" Saeki stared at his friend in shock.

"What do you mean by that?" Atobe questioned incredulously.

Leaning back on the couch, Fuji said, "I'm telling the truth. I don't know what pushed me to do it. Well, if I were to describe it, it's like… I'm interested in how she would react. She seemed so innocent and oblivious about what the Four Gods can do."

Saeki laughed. "You're interested in her, huh? Is it more likely to say that she reminds you of someone?"

"You know me too well, Saeki."

Atobe put his glass down as well. "You want to get closer to her, don't you?"

"…"

"I got it right, didn't I?"

Saeki chortled. "Could that 'interest' be something more, Fuji?"

"I don't know. Just drop it, will you?"

"Why? Don't you want to talk about her?" Saeki teased.

Atobe added, "Going to continue the challenge tomorrow?"

"Maybe…"

"One more question, Fuji," Saeki asked, his tone serious, "about that accident…"

"I don't want to talk about it, Saeki," Fuji cut him, his blue eyes open. He stood up. "I'm quite tired. I think I'll retire for the night."

"Hmm… Avoiding the topic, huh? Oh well, we'll just excuse ourselves out," Atobe said as he stood up. Saeki stood up too and they left the room.

Fuji sighed as he went to his room (which was very spacious, to be frank). He plopped himself carelessly on his huge bed.

'Echizen Ryoma… What's this that I feel towards you?'

To be continued…

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**Yay! I finally finished Chapter 3! I apologize for not updating last week; too many assignments came up.**

**As you can see, this story is indeed FujixRyoma or Thrill Pair, as it is called. Yes people, from the very beginning this was already planned by lil' 'ol me. Remember the color theme of their uniform? Blue and Gold, is it not? Now go ahead and make the connection and you'll find out that this is indeed Thrill Pair.**

**By the way, I would like to REPEAT that this story's plotline will never, ever be the exact copy of Hana Yori Dango.**

**Thank you for reading and reviewing the story!**

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**--Messages to Reviewers:**

**--liar-just-a-liar**

**-**It's not bad actually. They have a reason but I won't reveal it yet. No spoilers, sorry!

--**alaine, SakuyaKun, Lonely Rain**

-Okay, I've revealed it now. This is FujixRyoma or Thrill Pair indeed. You didn't need to request it because it was my real intention.

--**rayvern, ghost-alchemist09, primaaryet**

**-**Fine… You guessed it right. Hana Yori Dango indeed. But please don't think that just because this story resembles that, you'll think I'm copying the plot. I promise that there will be a huge difference here.

--**stringer13**

-They're here now but not too many appearances. Of course I'll introduce them as the story goes on.

--**VampireGirl22**

-Hmm… Well, there is a reason for that. And in fact, the answer to your question why will lead to me revealing the fact why his parents did so and I don't want to spoil you.

--**rebeccasanfujieijilvr**

**-**He's bad? (Looks at the story) Oh my... Did he seem like that?

--**Frozen Dew, animesyndrome**

-Thanks for reviewing the story!

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**Well, I don't really have anything to say about the next chapter. It's just that it is very, very, well… exciting? Or sweet? Don't know how to put it… Honestly.**

**See ya in the next chapter!**

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	4. A Different First Meeting

Hi! This is Crys, presenting to you the 4th chapter of Love so Sweet!

I'm sorry that I didn't post for 2 weeks, I came down with a 39-degree-Celsius-fever and I couldn't get out of bed and after I got well, we had our exams so there.

So, I want to clear up a few confusing things:

One, my story is NOT Hana Yori Dango! People, I'll get sued if I did that. In fact, this chapter will make you realize how different my plotline is.

Second, this is NOT OT5 or OT4 or whatever. This is THRILL PAIR. I said that in the previous chapter. Atobe will not get involved with Ryoma, only Fuji and maybe a bit of Tezuka jealousy but that's about it. THRILL PAIR, people, don't forget.

Third, the FOUR GODS are FUJI, ATOBE, SAEKI and TEZUKA. Not OT4. I thought Sanada didn't fit the part coz he's too serious. So get it there people.

Also, I have created another account with penname Aquamarine Crystalline. I'm writing one-shot fics there while I'll continue writing multi-chapter fics in this account. I've posted one PoT humor one-shot there so check it out sometime. You can go there through a link in my profile.

Well, let's get on with the story.

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**Bold- **English

_Italics-_ Flashback

'Dialogue'- Thoughts

"Dialogue"- Spoken Dialogue

Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis.

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**Love so Sweet**

**CHAPTER 4: A Different First Meeting**

Ryoma was glad he survived his first week of high school. The pelting students never stopped the whole week and he always got in trouble.

'That jerk…' He thought of Fuji.

He decided to stop thinking about it and enjoy the weekend. He was glad he can dress up as a boy freely on weekends.

He went out of the house, dressed in a white T-shirt and jeans and a white cap over his head. He carried his tennis bag with him and ran to the local park to play against the wall.

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Inside the Fuji mansion…

Fuji sighed as he lay on the sofa with Saeki and Atobe beside him. Tezuka had gone to the hospital for a check-up.

Saeki noticed his friend's sigh and asked, "What's wrong, Fuji?"

"Nothing, Saeki. I'm just bored."

"Play tennis with us then."

"I want to try something new. Maybe I'll sneak out to the local park."

Atobe smirked, "Don't let us stop you, then."

"Thanks." Fuji got up and grabbed his tennis bag and sneaked out of the mansion.

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Atobe set down the glass he was drinking from. "Fuji still hasn't gotten over that incident."

"Must be a real shock to him. It was his little brother, after all…" Saeki drawled.

Atobe frowned. "And Tezuka was…"

"But you know…" Saeki cut him off, "that girl might get Fuji to cheer up. He is interested in her after all."

"You mean Echizen Ryoma? Ah, you're right. Well, maybe we should put the past behind us," Atobe said as he drained his glass.

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Ryoma continued hitting the same spot over and over again on the wall where he trains in the park. He was feeling good.

All his troubles were melting away.

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Fuji, meanwhile, has reached the local park. There were lots of joggers and chatting people sitting on benches but he paid no attention to them. What caught his attention, however, was a young boy training against the wall. At first sight, Fuji knew he was good; by the way his shots always hit the same spot. He ran over to the boy.

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Ryoma hit the ball repeatedly and when he felt the need for a drink, he hit it one last time and caught it with his hand.

He heard clapping behind him and wished he was dreaming.

'Yipe! Fuji Syuusuke!'

Fuji smiled at him. Obviously, he did not recognize Ryoma. "You're really good. Mind if I played tennis with you?"

"N-no." he replied before he could stop himself. What the heck.

"Ah, that's good. Well, I'm Fuji Syuusuke. And you are?"

Ryoma remained silent. Should he tell his full name to Fuji? Will he recognize him?

He settled with saying, "Just call me Ryoma."

"Alright then."

Fuji led the way to the tennis court.

Ryoma rubbed his head, 'What have I gotten myself into?'

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In the tennis court, Fuji won the serve so he started the match.

Ryoma just played normally, with his right hand and played a fairly good game.

As Fuji led 3-2, however, he opened his blue eyes and said to Ryoma, "You're not playing seriously, aren't you?"

Ryoma smirked. He switched the racket to his left hand. "You want me to play seriously, huh? Fine then."

The game was quickly evened out until they reached a tie at 6-games all. They decided to take a break from there.

Their game had attracted the attention of parkgoers who clapped at them. Ryoma felt embarrassed and quickly sat on a bench and took out his Ponta. He opened the can and took a gulp to replenish his thirst. Fuji drank from his water bottle.

After the excitement died down, the watchers left one by one and the two were left alone again.

Fuji drained his water bottle. Then he turned to Ryoma and said, "Ryoma, can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"Are you in love with someone?"

Ryoma spit out his drink in surprise. "Eh?! Well, no…"

Fuji smiled. "Oh, I see… Well, you see, there is this girl I'm interested in…"

"Really?" 'Probably, a senpai from school…'

"I got into a fight with her… So, she probably hates me. Well, she's younger than me and I don't know how to approach her… What do you think should I do?"

Ryoma was surprised at his revelation. But honestly, what did he think Ryoma was, a matchmaker or a love adviser?

He continued, "She's feisty and strong. She's not afraid of standing up to me and she reminds me of someone."

Ryoma sighed. He had nothing to do so he might as well tell what he thought.

"Maybe you should stop fighting with her, you know."

Fuji looked a bit surprised. But he smiled, "Saa… Maybe you're right…" 'Maybe I should call off my challenge to Echizen Ryoma…'

Ryoma drained his Ponta. 'Who could that girl be?'

Suddenly, someone from the distance called out, "Oi! Chibisuke!"

Ryoma set his can down in surprise. "Aniki…"

Ryoga arrived at the tennis court, panting. He was apparently running. "Whoa, Chibisuke! Who's this?" he asked as he saw Fuji.

"Ah… Just someone I played with… Anyway, what do you want?"

"Oyaji and Okaa-san want you home. They want you to help with the housework, you lazy escapee."

Ryoma gulped. The reason he went out to play tennis was to avoid doing chores. Now his parents caught on to him. Oh well.

He picked out his tennis bag and slung it over his shoulder. Then he turned to Fuji, "Sorry. Got to go home. See you some other time."

Fuji smiled. "Ah, it's all right. When can I meet you here again?"

"Hm? Probably next week, if I'm not busy. See ya. Let's go, Aniki." Ryoma left with Ryoga.

Fuji stared at Ryoma's retreating back. 'He seems so familiar…'

But he just shrugged it off and went home as well.

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As the two brothers walked towards their house, Ryoma asked, "Why aren't you at work?"

"It's a weekend, Chibisuke! I don't have work!"

"Well, fine. Whatever."

"Say, who was that guy really? You seem so familiar with him though you just met him."

Ryoma sighed. "Well, he's actually a senpai at school who enjoys making my school life hell." 

"Eh? He bullies you?"

"Well, not directly. He gets other students to attack me with balls."

"Ah, well, he did not seem like it when he was talking to you earlier."

"He didn't recognize me. I'm a girl at school, remember?"

"Well, that explains it."

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As Fuji sneaked back to his room, Atobe and Saeki were still there. Atobe was reading a book and Saeki was toying and spinning a white tennis ball.

"Oh? Back already, Fuji?" Atobe commented.

"Yeah. I played with someone in the park."

"Who?" Saeki asked excitedly.

"Well, he didn't tell me his full name. He just said his name was Ryoma…"

"Ryoma? Isn't the girl's name you challenged, Echizen Ryoma?"

"Yeah, but he's a boy, Saeki. Though he did resemble her somehow…"

"So have you thought about what to do?"

"Well, I asked him what he thought. He said I should stop the challenge so I will."

Saeki chuckled, "You've gone soft Fuji."

"Hehe… You're right."

Atobe smirked. "What will you do after you cancel the challenge?"

"Pursue her, of course!"

"Attaboy, Fuji!" Saeki laughed.

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Monday came.

Ryoma walked calmly towards Ryuuren, aware that he'll get pelted at again.

As he arrived at the school gates as usual, he was surprised as there were students at the front doors.

"Echizen Ryoma! Come to the cafeteria quick!"

'Huh?' Ryoma was surprised. What was going on? And why were they not attacking him?

The students led him towards the cafeteria where Fuji was seated on his usual chair.

Ryoma frowned. What was he up to this time?

Fuji smiled. "Echizen Ryoma. You survived a week of my challenge. I think you're strong to have survived that."

"Well, whatever. What do you want?"

Fuji took something out of his pocket and threw it at Ryoma who caught it perfectly. Everyone craned to get a good look at whatever it was.

Ryoma looked at it. A red handkerchief?

"What's this supposed to mean?"

Fuji smiled. "I, Fuji Syuusuke, one of the Four Gods, hereby declare that my challenge to Echizen Ryoma is canceled."

"Eh?" Ryoma was certainly NOT expecting that.

So were the students. They thought he called Ryoma to increase the intensity of the challenge.

The fangirls looked shocked in particular.

Fuji laughed, "My challenge is over. You won and I lost because I was the one who called it off out of my own will. You didn't ask me to stop or that you gave up. You won."

"Huh?" Ryoma still could not grasp the fact. (So dense…)

Sakuno approached Ryoma, "Ryoma-chan! You defeated Fuji-senpai! He has admitted that he lost! You're so great!"

"Ah… Sakuno… Um…" He looked at the red handkerchief.

Fuji spoke up again. "However, this is a special case. I didn't give you that red handkerchief just for the reason that you won the challenge. There's another reason."

"So what is that?"

"Echizen Ryoma…"

Everyone's attention was focused on Fuji.

"Will you be my girlfriend?"

A few seconds of silence. Grasping the fact. And then…

"EH?!!!!!"

To be continued…

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**Yay! Chapter 4 is done! What do you think?**

**So how do you think Ryoma will respond to Fuji's advances?**

**Thanks for reading and reviewing the story!**

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**---Messages to Reviewers:**

--**DemonGirl13**

**-**I know it is. But not completely.

**--Lonely Rain**

**-**All in due time, all in due time. It's got a huge connection and impact to the story, you see.

--**FanfictionLover**

**-**Okay, okay. (Laughs) succumbs to your puppy eyes

--**1xmocha**

**-**Sorry, this is Thrill Pair. I don't know how to make an OT5 fic yet.

--**Emmy-chan**

**-**Sure, more Tezuka-Fuji rivalry will be great to write but this is Thrill Pair, sorry.

--**EBIL DUSTBUNNY OF DOOOOM, Gabriella Silverwood, Squirrelpelt, SkySurf**

**-**Thanks for reviewing!

--**rebeccasanfujieijilvr**

**-**Yay!

--**liar-just-a-liar**

**-**Ah… Not offended, not offended… Don't worry. I really need to foreshadow a few things.

--**Emily**

**-**Well to clear up your confusion, I've got a reply for both of your sentences.

"This is gay". – Well, I'm a shounen-ai writer. In fact, this story is quite less shounen-ai-like than my other story Grant my Wish because there's no crossdressing there, plain shounen-ai. If you think this story is gay, then wait till you've read Grant my Wish.

"You're just copying…"- I believe I explained this in Chapter 3. If you think I'm copying it, then why is crossdressing here? And I've only just started the story. I've only updated 4 chapters. The changes I plan to make happen in this chapter and in later chapters. It's up to you now to wait for those chapters or stop reading this story if you think me basing my ideas on Hana Yori Dango and tweaking the plotline in my own style is not good. Believe it or not, even Grant my Wish is based on Hana Yori Dango. But still, I'm glad that you read and review the story. As I always say, I'm open for comments and suggestions and I reply to all reviews and questions.

--**lattelover25**

**-**It's Saeki. Not Sanada, sorry. I'm not good at OT3, 4 or 5. And besides he fit the part better.

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**So people you see the love complication now? Fuji is in love with female-dressed Ryoma but doesn't know how to approach her and is in war with her in school but he meets boy-dressed Ryoma outside of school and befriends him. This is actually focused on that complication.**

**And I think that complication is original and not part of the Hana Yori Dango plotline.**

**Well, will you look at that! Fuji asked Ryoma to be his girlfriend! Hahahahahha! What will Ryoma say? Well, you've got to wait for the next chapter to find out!**

**See ya in the next chapter!**

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	5. Payback

Hi! This is Crys and we're here at the 5th chapter of Love so Sweet!

**I want to apologize for two things.**

**First, sorry for the last chapter's cliffhanger. I know it's frustrating but I ran out of time typing. Well, it continues here, anyway.**

**Second, sorry for not updating for 3 WEEKS! I'm really sorry! My final exams came up and I really needed to study! But now, it's over and I'm officially on vacation. The good news is I can update anytime!**

**Also, to you who are either Pillar Pair or Thrill Pair fans, check out my new story entitled Blue Moon: Legend of the Curse Chronicles. It's a Fantasy/Romance story and the main character is Ryoma of course but the pairing is still undecided for me. I can't decide between Fuji and Tezuka because my idea for either of them is quite all right. So please go there and vote for the pairing you want, if you have time.**

**Also, I've decided to become a Beta-Reader and I'm free now since school's over. So you want me to beta your story, I'll gladly do it.**

Well, so much for that. Let's not keep this waiting any longer. On with the story, we go!

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**Bold- **English

_Italics-_ Flashback

'Dialogue'- Thoughts

"Dialogue"- Spoken Dialogue

Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis.

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**Love so Sweet**

**CHAPTER 5: Payback**

"EEEEEEHHH!?"

Actually, it was not just Ryoma who was in disbelief. Apparently, everyone was, too.

Everyone… that is, except the smiling culprit, Fuji.

After the long "EEEEEEEEEEH!?", complete silence fell over the cafeteria, save for the oblivious birds twitting outside the window.

Fuji started counting down.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Six.

Se-

Ryoma burst out, "WHAT THE HECK DID YOU SAY!?!!!!!!!!!"

'She reacted faster than I thought…' Fuji chuckled inwardly. "Huh? Did you not hear me? Last time I checked, you weren't deaf."

"Of course I'm not deaf, you idiot! What I'm talking about is…" Ryoma trailed off.

He suddenly wanted to smack his head for his stupidity. Fuji might have met him as a boy but he DID NOT know that the Echizen Ryoma in school and the Ryoma in the park where one and the same.

"Well?" Fuji asked.

Ryoma opened his mouth to answer but he was interrupted by…

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEYYYAAAA! FUJI-SAMA!!! HOW COULD YOU ASK HER TO BE YOUR GIRLFIREND!? SHE INSULTED YOU!"

"FUJI-SAMA! HOW CAN YOU DO THIS TO ME!?"

"NOOOOOOOOOO! IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD!"

Ryoma twitched. Annoying fangirls…

Fuji frowned. He snapped his fingers and several male students threw (!) the girls out of the cafeteria immediately.

Ah… the sweet, blissful silence…

Fuji smiled at Ryoma. "There. Now what do you say?"

Ryoma gave him a bratty smirk. That Fuji found irresistibly cute.

"No."

Everyone hushed. Some gasped. How could this girl reject THE Fuji Syuusuke, which most girls had to sacrifice their lives just to see? (Oops… Maybe that was too exaggerated)

Fuji kept his smiling face but there were some traces of shock here and there…

"However…" Ryoma continued.

Everyone held their breath.

"…" Ryoma appeared to be in deep thought.

A good ten seconds passed and everyone couldn't continue holding their breath. So they stopped.

"Let me ask you this first. Why do you want me, of all people, to be your… girlfriend?"

Fuji pondered. "Well… I'm very interested in you…"

"Really?" Ryoma said, sarcasm dripping off his voice. "I think you just can't accept that I defeated you."

Fuji smiled. "That's not the case. I am indeed interested in you, you know."

Ryoma clutched the handkerchief in his hands and stared at it. Then he got an idea. He smirked.

"So… I want you to be direct with me… Do you like me?"

Everyone hushed again. All eyes turned to Fuji.

He smiled. "Yes."

"Prove it to me then." Ryoma smirked, as he threw the red handkerchief back to Fuji who caught it.

"You've got a week… starting from now to make me say yes, which will be proved by me taking the handkerchief back. But if you don't manage to, you have to stop pursuing me."

"Also, there are conditions. One, you must not involve the student body. You are to do this alone. And second, you can't disturb me from my classes. Will you accept my challenge?"

Fuji thought hard for a minute, frowning. Until a smile slowly made its way to his face. "Of course… I'm not one to back down from a challenge."

'So you resorted to this haven't you? There is no way I'm backing down from this.'

"Heh… You've got confidence. I'm quite… hard-to-get. Well, good luck to you. You'll need it. " Ryoma said as he turned around with a cocky air and walked towards the doors of the cafeteria and opened it.

Only to bump into a certain glasses-wearing brunette on the way. Oh crap…

His face was currently, buried in Tezuka's chest, as a result of the impact.

He felt his cheeks flush and heat up at the impact. Then he heard Tezuka's voice, "Are you all right?"

Ryoma wanted to scream something out but it remained in his mind, 'Why do I feel this way?' He wanted to hide his face in Tezuka's chest to save himself from embarrassment but it was even more embarrassing to remain like that.

So he slowly pulled away and looked at Tezuka.

Tezuka, whose arm was still in a cast, raised an eyebrow. "Echizen?"

"T-tezuka-san!" Ryoma stuttered. Wow. He must have looked stupid.

Tezuka stared at Ryoma's face. 'Why are her cheeks red?'

"W-well… h-hello… um, well… see you…" Ryoma quickly left.

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Tezuka wondered what was wrong with Echizen. Did Fuji do something again…?

"Fuji."

"What is it?"

"Did you do something to Echizen again?"

Fuji raised an eyebrow. "Why do you ask?"

"…No. Nothing." He went out of the cafeteria.

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Fuji stared at Tezuka's retreating back.

And couldn't help feeling a surge of suspicion and jealousy. He had, after all, seen Echizen's flushed face after she bumped into Tezuka.

Looks like he had to be serious in pursuing Echizen Ryoma after all. He smiled widely.

Atobe and Saeki, who sat nearby, looked worriedly at each other. Only God knows what will happen in the following week. And they really pitied Echizen Ryoma.

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Speaking of Echizen Ryoma…

Ryoma wanted to bang his head on the wall.

Scratch that, he wanted the end of the world to come NOW.

But that won't be nice.

Who knew that Tezuka's chest was so comfortable… so hot… so… ACCK! What the heck was he thinking!? He shook his head to clear his thoughts and focused instead on how to prevent Fuji from winning the challenge for a week.

To be continued…

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**Waah! That totally had me laugh! I can't believe I wrote this! And I wrote this chapter right after typing that very serious new chapter of Grant my Wish! Hah! I still have the energy?**

**Anyways, what do you think of it? It was short. Hah… I know. I wanted the next chapter to start with Fuji's pursuit of Ryoma!**

**Thank you for reading and reviewing the story!**

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**---Messages to Reviewers:**

**--SkySurf**

-Yeah! He's persistent! That's why it's fun to see what he'll do to make Ryoma say yes! What do you think he'll do in a week to convince Ryoma?

**--rebeccasanfujieijilvr**

**-**Ya-ha! Fuji's pursuing Ryoma!

--**h-l**

-Your guess was good! You got me!

--**Tsukino Fujina**

-As much as I want to, I can't. See, I'm updating 4 other stories at once (I'm a multi-tasker that way) and I don't have the time to type so I can't. But there should be at least one update per week starting now.

--**Deaths-Guardian**

**-**Well, some of the answers to your questions can be found here and in the following chapter. Oh… Sorry about the cliffhanger.

--**kitsune16487**

**-**Acck… You got me… It is odd though and there's actually a reason for that here in the story… Good of you to notice. Well, you'll have to wait till I officially update the chapter containing it to know though.

--**DemonGirl13**

-Hahaha! Thanks.

--**FlAmEsOfDeSiReS**

**-**Hahahhaha! No I don't. It's just that… it's fun to make a Romance story that makes Ryoma poor so… well, you get the idea. This is Thrill Pair, originally planned so don't worry. As for TezukaAtobe, well I didn't count on that. It's quite hard to make it fit but I'll see if it's possible. If I can't, I'm sorry but I'll try to find another way. I don't want Tezuka to end up sad too.

--**rebabe**

-Yes. That's exactly it.

--**defianceobjectivity99**

**-**Yup! They definitely are! Thank you for reviewing!

--**Ryomalicious**

-I update every week actually just that around this time I had my final exams so I couldn't update. Don't worry, everything's back to normal now.

--**SerenityKaraTinaWolf**

-Thank you for reviewing! Well, here's the update.

--**ShadowDancer 666**

-OOOH! Am I so predictable? How come so many people are able to guess what I'm about to write? Waah… Fine… He's going to realize that sometime later.

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**Yah. I know it was short. But still, the next chapter might be a bit longer. And definitely even more exciting! We'll see Fuji try to win Ryoma's heart for a week! AAHHAHAHAHAHAH!**

**See ya in the next chapter!**

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	6. Starting Point

Crys here

Crys here. It's the 6th chapter of Love so Sweet! 

Ahaha… Sorry for the late update. I've got CAT training to deal with.

Well, I know how impatient everyone is so on to the story!

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**Bold- **English

_Italics-_ Flashback

'Dialogue'- Thoughts

"Dialogue"- Spoken Dialogue

Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis.

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**Love so Sweet**

**CHAPTER 6: Starting Point**

Ryoma couldn't believe it.

Nope, he just plain could not.

For when he arrived at his classroom in Ryuuren, surprise! (Or not…) His chair was stuffed with flowers, chocolates and balloons and whatnot.

Take a guess who sent them.

His eyebrow twitched. 'That idiot…'

Some of his classmates were staring at awe at the huge pile, while some girls were giggling; obviously thinking that it was so romantic.

Well, in Ryoma's opinion, it was definitely not.

Heaving, he quickly gathered up the posies and the balloons and proceeded to throw them in the trash can outside.

Horio shouted, "Eh!? You're just going to throw them?"

"I have no use for them anyway," he replied.

Several of his female classmates squealed, "Awww… What a waste, Echizen-chan…"

Another added, "Are you just going to refuse gifts from your secret admirer?"

He twitched as he stopped in front of the classroom door. "I don't have a secret admirer. And I think it's more likely to say that these came from an idiotic stalker."

However, he received an even bigger shock when the door of the classroom slid open, revealing none other than Fuji Syuusuke.

He smiled, "Maa… Maa… Ryoma-chan, I'm hurt that you think of me that way…" Obviously, he heard what Ryoma said a while ago.

Ryoma frowned. "And since when are we on first-name terms?"

Fuji ignored Ryoma's statement, saying, "Oh? Are those flowers you're holding… for me?" He had a creepy smile on his face.

"NO! I'm about to throw this pile of junk from YOU. And if you're wondering, my answer is still NO" Ryoma smirked as he brushed past Fuji.

His classmates were dumbstruck.

Ryoma quickly dumped everything into the trash can. But as he turned around, he found himself literally face-to-face with Fuji.

So close, that he could almost feel Fuji's breathing tickling his face and those mesmerizing blue eyes of his…

AAAAAACCCCCK!

He hurriedly shook his head to get rid of those… crazy thoughts. Unknowingly, he had pushed Fuji away in the process of really trying to get rid of him in his head.

"Ahhh… J-just leave me alone this morning!" And he rushed towards his classroom and slammed the door.

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Fuji smirked. Who knew that Echizen Ryoma looked cute when blushing?

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The morning seemed like an eternity to Ryoma. He hated the fact that his classmates kept staring at him.

He could barely concentrate on the lessons. And when Mikagami-sensei called for him, it took at least 5 calls of his name before he responded. Good thing he was saved from the embarrassment when he easily answered the question on the board.

'I can't wait for lunch break…'

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'Oh no… I take it back! I take it back!'

Currently, Ryoma was standing in front of Fuji in the cafeteria.

'How did it end up like this!?'

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_The bell rang, signifying the end of the morning classes. Ryoma quickly gathered his things and rushed out of the classroom in a blur._

_His classmates were surprised at his actions. "What's up with her?" they wondered._

_Ryoma ignored everyone's curious stares as he sprinted towards the cafeteria, hoping for a break._

_Bad choice._

_For as soon as he entered the cafeteria, there was Fuji, standing straight in front of him with a not-so-innocent smile on his face._

"_Holy…"_

"_Nah-uh… Ryoma-chan... You shouldn't be cursing…" Fuji said in a teasing voice as he put a finger on Ryoma's lips earning him a blush and a deadly glare from the aforementioned boy as he moved backwards._

_Fuji just stared back._

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Well now, everyone was staring at the two of them. All of them had actually stopped what they were doing. Yes, some even had food halfway in their mouths.

How Ryoma hated the attention.

Yes, in tennis, the attention doesn't bother him but now… it was like… weird. It was as if time was slowing down and everything revolved around him and Fuji.

A fallen spoon broke the ice.

No, not literally.

With the sound of the clanking spoon, the tension between Ryoma and Fuji's staring eased.

Well, now the people who had food halfway in their mouths were choking but it didn't matter.

Ryoma spoke first, "You…"

"Me…" Fuji finished.

Twitch. Ryoma hated it when someone is toying with him. "I'm leaving." Turning around, he stomped off from the cafeteria.

Fuji smirked as he watched Ryoma go. 'She's even more stubborn than I thought. Well, this is going to be a thrilling challenge…'

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Ryoma sighed as he wandered around the school corridors looking for a peaceful place. Dejectedly, he made his way to the rooftop, thinking that no one was there.

But to his surprise, Tezuka was there, staring outside the fence and into the school grounds.

However, Tezuka must have heard him open the door towards the rooftop because he turned around to face him.

Just that act made Ryoma blush.

Tezuka asked, "What are you doing here, Echizen?"

"W-well… i-it's just that… well, I wanted to go somewhere quiet."

"Is that so? Or… are you just escaping from Fuji again?"

"W-well… yes."

Silence descended the two before Tezuka beckoned over to Ryoma and said, "Come here."

Ryoma stared at Tezuka who used his right hand to beckon him over. He gazed at Tezuka's left, cast-encased arm.

Curiosity overtook him and he asked as he stood beside Tezuka, "How come your left arm is in a cast?"

"This?" He touched his arm. "It was an accident over the summer."

"Ah… I see…"

Tezuka thought, 'But maybe _that_… wasn't even an accident at all. It was my fault. And… because of it… Fuji…'

"Oh, that's right, Echizen… I want to tell you something…"

"Wh-what is it?"

"I just want to tell you that… with all that's happening here now… I hope that you don't think too badly of him…"

"Huh?"

"He's not usually like that… It's just that…"

The door of the rooftop flew open.

"Tezuka!" Saeki shouted from behind Atobe who looked like he had made a grand entrance.

"Tezuka. You're…" Atobe trailed off when he noticed Ryoma.

Ryoma arched an eyebrow. "What are you staring at me for?"

"N-nothing. Well, Tezuka… it's time…"

"Ah? Is that so? I didn't notice. Well, Echizen, I'll be leaving now." He left, leaving Ryoma with Atobe and Saeki.

"Where's he going? What do you mean by 'it's time'?"

Saeki replied, "It's just time for his check-up. Don't worry."

"Is… Is his arm's condition really serious?"

Atobe frowned. "Seems so. Well, what are you doing up here?"

"I wanted to escape Fuji."

Then suddenly, the two of them chuckled. "Really, huh?" Atobe seemed to have been trying very hard to hide his laughter but wasn't successful.

Ryoma turned red from embarrassment. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing, nothing," Saeki managed to gasp out between laughs. Then he said after he stopped laughing, "It's just interesting."

"Huh?"

"You know, Fuji is very persistent. Once he starts pursuing something, he never gives up. He's stubborn, that way. Well, I hope you survive this week."

"Yeah, ore-sama thinks this makes good entertainment."

"Eh!?"

"Oh, looks like we have to leave now Atobe. Break's almost over."

"Is that so? Well, bye then, Echizen Ryoma," Atobe smirked as he and Saeki left, leaving a very perplexed Ryoma to his thoughts.

'What did they mean by that!?'

To be continued…

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**All done! What do you think?**

**Hehe… You would think there isn't too much humor here but really… the fun's just beginning! More humorous things in the upcoming chapters! Expect more to come!**

**And also, unlike Fuji's challenge which has been cut short, the whole week of Ryoma's challenge will be posted!**

**Thank you for reading and reviewing the story!**

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**--Messages to Reviewers:**

**--SkySurf**

**-**Maybe I'll try that suggestion in one of the following chapters.

**--rebeccasanfujiieijilvr**

**-**Yep! But this is still Thrill Pair. He's just there to make Fuji jealous and to actually help the two in their relationship.

**--Squirrelpelt**

-Yeah! That's part of the story!

**--Shadow Dancer666**

**-**No, it's all right.

**--IceCreamXD**

-It is Thrill Pair.

**--FlAmEsOfDeSiReS**

**-**THAT is vital in this story. The incident will be explained later, and as for Yuuta, you'll also know later.

**--DemonGirl13**

**-**Really?

**--FemNaruYaoiLover**

**-**Okay, here.

**--i luv hott emo guys**

**-**Here's the update!

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**Well, all I have to say is that you can definitely expect more funny antics in the upcoming chapters, courtesy of Fuji and Ryoma of course!**

**See ya in the next chapter!**

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	7. Three Times the Secrets and Mysteries

Hi

Hi!

It's Crys here again!

**But since school is nearing (again), I fear that this could be the last mass update for a while. No, it doesn't mean that I'll stop updating. It just means that I'll only be able to update 1 or 2 stories per week or maybe even every other week.**

**However, I'll give you readers a choice. Would you rather want…**

**Option A: I'll update every week or every other week but only 1 or 2 stories will be updated. Plus I won't update the same story per week. For example, if I update this story, it won't be updated again till I've updated all my other stories so if you're really a fan of only one of my stories, updates will be quite a while.**

**Option B: I'll type all the updates of all my stories up first then release all of them (most likely once a month or twice a month if I'm lucky) in a mass update. But then that would be a REALLY long wait for the impatient people. However, those who are fans of many stories would get to read them all in one go.**

**So… There are the two options. Please tell me in your review which option you would prefer. It will help me in planning out my typings.**

I've done a bit of thinking… Putting each day per chapter would take a lot of time for the story to progress and time is definitely not on my side. So, I think… I'll put all the remaining weekdays of the challenge in this chapter. That would be 3 days. So expect that this is a little long. Still, I hope you enjoy it!

As for that incident I've been mentioning since the previous chapters, it will be hinted a lot here… Oops, I think I made a mistake there. It's supposed to be accident, not incident (those two are different) so I'll edit the previous chapters containing it. 

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**Bold- **English

_Italics-_ Flashback

'Dialogue'- Thoughts

"Dialogue"- Spoken Dialogue

Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis.

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**Love so Sweet**

**CHAPTER 7: Three times the Secrets and Mysteries **

**--Day 2 (Wednesday)--**

Atobe and Saeki were inside the former's limousine, on their way to school.

Saeki grinned. "Let's watch the 'fireworks' that Fuji will make in school today, ne?"

Smirking, Atobe replied, "Ah..."

Saeki leaned back on his seat. "Ne, Atobe, can I ask you something?"

"What, Saeki?"

Saeki took a deep breath, as if preparing to narrate something long. "It struck me as strange as to why you don't seem to be as competitive to Fuji as before… the _accident_. Back then, you'd always be against what he does and you don't like him in charge. Maybe you pity him a little, huh?"

Atobe frowned as he looked out the limo window to his right. Could Saeki be right? His details were correct; nothing can pass through his sharp observation skills, on and off the tennis court, he might add. But any person would pity Fuji. Fuji's smile was a mask, a veil to conceal his sadness. Even someone like ore-sama would soften.

He replied, "Hmph. Maybe I am…"

Just then the limousine stopped. The chauffeur stepped out and opened the doors for Saeki and Atobe.

"Atobe-sama. Saeki-sama. We have arrived in Ryuuren Academy. Have a good day in school."

When Atobe and Saeki stepped into the school grounds however, they were completely shocked at the sight that greeted them.

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Right in the middle of the pathway towards the main entrance doors stood Fuji Syuusuke and Echizen Ryoma, locked in a glaring contest.

They were surrounded by screaming fangirls, the troublemakers, the gossipers, the curious and the nosy, and the just plain students.

"What in kami-sama's name is going on in here?" Saeki asked to nobody in particular.

A random student turned to Saeki and replied, "Ahh! Saeki-san! It's Fuji-san and Echizen-san! Just this morning…" he was interrupted when Ryoma spoke up.

"Don't you dare do something like that again, you idiot."

Everyone gasped.

"Ah… but Echizen-chan… it's my way of expre-"

"Who the hell would leave cactus plants in my locker and on my desk besides you!?"

Ryoma was very pissed. He had arrived VERY early for school, just so that he can escape his baka aniki and baka oyaji's stupid morning antics but oh no, it was the worst decision he had ever made.

Now he knew better, Fuji was better at annoying him than his aniki and oyaji ever could.

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(A/N: Thanks to SkySurf for the idea!)

_For when he arrived at school to put things in his locker, he was shocked as his things in there were stuffed at the back and what faced him were small potted cactuses. Many had ribbons tied around the pot._

_His eyebrow twitched. What do heavens have against him; that everyone and everything just HAVE to irritate him to no end today?_

_With a little more force than necessary, he slammed his locker (thus earning the attention of all the other students) and stomped off, fuming, into his classroom._

_This was the worst part yet._

_Because his chair was literally nowhere to be seen, under the massive pile of cactus pots that buried it in._

_And just like the ones in his locker, these ones have ribbons too. One particular cactus had a note attached to it._

_It read, "If roses are too fancy for you, then here are simple cactuses I wholeheartedly offer to you."_

'_Lame.'_

…_was the first thing that came to Ryoma's mind._

'_And stupid,' he added in his mind._

_As he began to remove the plants off his desk, he noticed another note stuck on the chair._

'_Go out with me, Echizen-chan?'_

_Ryoma snapped._

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"What do you think you are doing!?" Ryoma shouted.

"Umm… courting you?" Fuji replied in an innocent tone.

"And what does cactus plants have to do it?"

"You didn't like the roses. So I thought you would like the cactus…"

"Well, I certainly did NOT. I hate all those frivolities and fancy stuff," Ryoma said before he turned on his heel and marched off inside the school building.

Fangirls screamed. "KYAAAAAAAAAA!! How dare her! How could she reject Fuji-sama! Fuji-sama, don't waste your time on her!"

But Fuji just smiled at Ryoma's retreating back.

Saeki stared in awe at Fuji. 'He's… he's truly smiling… I haven't seen him smile like that ever since…'

Atobe spoke up, "So you noticed, huh."

Surprised, Saeki turned to him, only to see him smirking. He smiled. "Yeah, you're right."

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Lunch time…

Fuji, surprisingly, wasn't in the cafeteria. He was alone on the school rooftop, leaning against the wired fence and looking up at the clear blue sky. It reflected beautifully his cerulean eyes.

He smiled; the light, gentle breeze caressing his face.

'Echizen Ryoma…'

She was unique and very different from others. Seemingly innocent-looking, she had a fierce and cocky aura surrounding her. Furthermore, she was not afraid to stand up to anyone.

This was all in Fuji's opinion, of course.

And this made him so happy with the present, so happy that he ALMOST forgot about the past.

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_It was a summer day like every other._

_People walked by, minding their own business. Cars, buses and the like raced through the streets._

_Several people were gathered on either end of a pedestrian lane, waiting for the signal to go. When it was time, everyone began crossing._

_Most of the people had crossed but a bespectacled teen, followed further behind by two brown-haired boys still hadn't._

_There were no cars in line at the sides of the lane but in the near distance, a speeding and slightly swerving car was approaching. Police sirens disrupted the people's chatter._

_A red car was blazing through the streets, closely followed by many police cars._

_The three boys were right in the middle of the street when the car approached, with seemingly no intent in stopping._

_One of the lagging boys shouted, "Wait! Look out!"_

_The glasses-wearing teen had noticed too late and was rendered immobile, right in the path of the car._

_The other boy hurriedly ran towards his companion and pushed him._

_However, the force was not enough as the two of them were hit by the car._

_Sharp blue eyes widened in shock and fear._

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Fuji's eyes squeezed shut. No matter how much he tried, he can't get it off his mind. Why did he just stand there…

The rooftop door creaked open and someone entered. "Fuji."

Fuji looked towards the door. "Tezuka," he replied in acknowledgment.

The bespectacled teen walked towards Fuji and stood beside him. Fuji resumed his staring at the blue sky.

Tezuka looked up at the heavens too. A huge cloud covered the sun, giving the two a temporary shade.

He spoke up, "Can you still not forget that day?"

Fuji looked at his companion, azure eyes open in shock. After a while, he closed them and dropped his head down. "I'll be honest with you, Tezuka."

Tezuka glanced at him through the corner of his eyes.

"No, I cannot, Tezuka… Probably not for as long as I live…"

"Well, to tell you the truth, I can't either."

"I… feel guilty about it. I… I was just standing there…"

"It's not your fault, Fuji," Tezuka suddenly cut in, a serious look on his face. "It was mine, for being so careless…"

Fuji chuckled humorlessly. "Aren't you too noble, Tezuka, taking the blame for something you're not responsible for? And you're the victim here…" He touched Tezuka's cast-encased arm.

Silence descended between the two of them. Slowly, sunlight came from behind the clouds, beaming down on the two boys.

"Fuji." Tezuka spoke up again.

"Yes, Tezuka?"

"Be honest with me. Why are you doing this challenge to… Echizen Ryoma?"

Fuji flinched a little but he managed to remain calm.

"I… don't know. It's just this strange feeling in me. I'm not sure, am I… attracted to her?"

Tezuka pushed his glasses up. "Maybe you are… Maybe because she reminds you of someone you know very well too…"

"But are you sure you're not doing this just to push yourself to forget the past?"

Another thick cloud passed over the sky and gave them a brief sun shield.

Tezuka continued, "You still can't get over your grief but you hide it with that mask of yours. You smile… But it's not one of happiness."

"In order to not show people your pain, you vent it out on others. I can read you like a book, Fuji."

Fuji smiled. "Nothing can escape you, ne Tezuka-buchou?" He chuckled.

"You're right about that. But only at first."

Tezuka raised an eyebrow at that.

"I tried to have fun through our challenges in order to make the pain go away. But none of those I challenged before was able to make me feel that. However, that was the situation until I met her… Echizen Ryoma."

"She… made me experience the fun that I longed for. That's why I stopped my challenge to her. It was because I finally felt the happiness. I forgot my grief… even though it was only temporary. When she challenged me back, I was more than happy."

The sun slowly came out from behind the clouds, like a stage show behind a rising curtain.

"And then, it hit me… that maybe there's something else. There's another reason that's keeping me happy… and it's related to her…"

Meanwhile, behind the slightly opened door of the rooftop, surprised yet sad golden eyes peeked out. Slowly, the eyes retreat back and the door closes quietly.

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Ryoma stared out the window of his classroom.

Fuji's words continuously played in his head.

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'_Finally, it's lunch time!'_

_Ryoma climbed the stairs towards the rooftop, intent on having a quiet lunch (with the suspicion that Fuji will be in the cafeteria)._

_He grasped the doorknob and was about to turn it when he heard Fuji's voice._

'_What? He's here, of all places!?'_

_Scowling, he was about to let go of the doorknob when another familiar voice rang out._

"… _It was mine, for being so careless."_

_Ryoma's eyes widened in surprise. 'T-tezuka-san??' Now he was curious. 'Why are the two of them here?'_

_He pushed open the door slowly and quietly. He listened intently for the rest of the conversation._

_Until…_

"_And then, it hit me… that maybe there's something else. There's another reason that's keeping me happy… and it's related to her…"Fuji said._

_Deciding that he intruded on privacy too much, Ryoma gently pulled the door and closed it. Turning, he walked back down the stairs, his mind occupied with the conversation he just heard._

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'Just what is with Fuji? Did something happen to him?'

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--**Day 3 (Thursday)--**

Ryoma walked slowly towards Ryuuren, his shoes making a scraping sound against the ground with every step.

He was so deep in thought that he didn't notice Sakuno approaching him. He only noticed her when she greeted him.

"Good morning, Ryoma-chan."

"… Good morning, Sakuno…"

"What's wrong? You don't seem like yourself today."

"I-It's nothing."

She frowned. "Are you sure? Maybe you're stressed?"

"There's nothing wrong with me…"

"Well, if you insist…"

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"Your arm's healing quite nicely, Tezuka-kun. I daresay your cast can be taken off in a few days or so."

Tezuka was sitting on a chair opposite a young female doctor inside a clinic. "Thank you, doctor."

She walked over towards a table and sat on the swivel chair. She began writing on some papers. "I believe that injury came from an accident in the summer last year, am I correct?"

"Yes…"

"I've read about that accident in the newspapers. Someone died, right?"

"Ah… That's right."

"I feel sad about it. But then, on that accident, I heard there's an incident related."

"There was? I never found out about that."

"It was a kidnapping, I believe."

"A kidnapping!? How could it be related to the accident?"

A knock on the door interrupted the conversation. The doctor said, "Yes. Come in."

The door opened, revealing a black-haired man in his fifties wearing a suit. His small transparent square glasses glinted. "Ah, pardon me for interrupting Doctor Nanami."

"Oh, it's no problem at all," Doctor Nanami replied, "Principal Masahiro."

Tezuka stood up and bowed to the principal. He recognized the bespectacled boy and smiled. "Ah, Tezuka-kun. Are you here for your check-up?"

"Hai."

"Well, I hope you get better soon."

"Thank you."

"I seem to have come at a bad time. I'll just come back later Nanami-sensei. Please excuse me." And with that, he left.

Tezuka looked at the doctor again. "Nanami-sensei, about what you mentioned before…"

"Ah, that. Well, I'm not entirely sure about it myself. I just heard that the victim is a 14 or 15-year-old teenage boy. But since that was last year, I'm not sure anymore. Perhaps that kid is older now."

"Oh."

At that moment, the bell rang.

"Looks like it's time for your classes, Tezuka-kun. Well, here are the papers and the medical certificate that I've signed. Come back here in 3 days. On Friday, okay?"

"Yes, I will. Thank you very much."

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This morning, Ryoma and Fuji had a squabble again. Apparently, the older boy had sent at least a dozen cards to the freshman. It was those cards that had very mushy words and poems written. But the worst part of it is that the cards were the kind that played corny love songs when opened.

According to Fuji, it was because Ryoma said "I hate all those frivolities and fancy stuff" so he sent the cards.

'Stupid corny cards!' Ryoma was totally annoyed.

Looks like Ryoma will die from high-blood pressure at this rate.

But still, it seems like the whole school was getting used to it.

Ryoma stomped off to his classroom, fuming.

Fuji proceeded to his own room, smiling.

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Ryoma scowled as he stared out the window of his classroom. 'That idiot… Just when I thought he was quite a troubled guy… he troubles me…'

'But then… what could have happened to him? Why was he in grief before he challenged me? He doesn't seem like it…'

As if by sensing through a sixth sense that Ryoma wasn't listening, the English teacher called out, "Echizen Ryoma! Answer the question on the board now!"

Ryoma turned to his teacher with a lazy look in his eyes. He looked at his teacher before taking a quick glance at the board and stood up.

Horio whispered to Kachiro and Katsuo beside him as Ryoma walked towards the board and grabbed the chalk, "Oh no… Echizen is in trouble!"

Kachiro murmured, "Yeah, she wasn't listening to sensei…"

Sounds of a chalk scraping against the board…

The trio's whispering was interrupted when the rest of the class said, "Wow…"

For right on the board, Ryoma had just written a whole paragraph answer to the question.

The teacher looked like he'd seen a ghost.

Horio, Kachiro and Katsuo stared at Ryoma in awe.

Ryoma turned to him, "**Is my answer correct, Sir?**"

Shaking, the English teacher gave him a thumbs-up,"**G-good work, Echizen.**"

Shrugging, Ryoma went back to his seat and resumed his pondering.

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--**Day 4 (Friday)--**

In the Echizen household…

"Bye, Chibisuke!" Ryoga shouted as he waved to his younger brother.

Inside the apartment, Rinko was washing the dishes while Nanjirou was reading the newspaper.

"Ne, oyaji…"

"What?"

"Are we doing the right thing?"

"Hmm...?

"Lying to Chibisuke ever since last summer…"

This time, it was Rinko who answered softly, "I know it's not a good thing to do Ryoga dear, but we're doing it for his safety. I'd rather see him like this than in the hands of that crazy man…"

"Yeah… but that man's in jail now, isn't he?"

"This is a precaution, Ryoga," Nanjirou replied.

"And Chibisuke's memories…"

"That's enough now, Ryoga," Rinko said sternly.

"You know, okaa-san… I wonder why you still haven't told him yet. Remaining oblivious to the fact would be dangerous for Chibisuke, should that man escape…"

"He probably won't be able to handle it, telling him something that happened to him that he doesn't even remember…"

"Yeah… Ooh! These girls look hot…" Nanjirou muttered.

Ryoga walked over to his oyaji and pulled the newspaper, revealing that he was reading a porn magazine instead inside the open newspaper.

"Oyaji!" Ryoga shouted.

"Anata… What did I say about buying porn magazines?" Rinko walked towards Nanjirou, her voice with a sweet yet threatening tone. Nanjirou panicked as he slowly backed away.

Ryoga covered his eyes.

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!"

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Ryoma stared out the wired fence of the rooftop during lunch, in very deep thought.

He couldn't understand why but he was completely confused about what he heard 2 days ago.

So engrossed was he in his thoughts that he didn't notice Tezuka enter the rooftop. He only became aware when the older boy spoke, "I didn't expect to see you here."

Quickly, he turned towards Tezuka, blushing, "T-tezuka-san!"

The bespectacled boy stood beside him. "Is there something bothering you? These past days, you aren't like yourself. Even when challenging Fuji."

At the mention of Fuji's name, Ryoma frowned.

Tezuka looked at Ryoma's expression. "So this is indeed about him."

Ryoma was surprised. He stared intently at the scenery before him.

After a while, he spoke up, "Two days ago… I overheard your conversation with Fuji…"

Tezuka slowly looked at Ryoma who panicked, saying, "I… I didn't mean to! I just went here to eat my lunch alone but when I was about to open the door, I heard you two talking."

After Tezuka showed no signs of getting mad at him, Ryoma continued, "I heard Fuji say that he was in grief before he challenged me. And… I've been wondering why."

"I see…"

Tezuka gazed outside the fence. After quite a while, he said, "Do you want to know why?"

"…Yes."

Tezuka nodded before taking a deep breath, as if preparing to tell a story.

"It all started in the summer last year. Fuji, his younger brother and I were out in the city. We were crossing the street. I was slightly ahead of them and we didn't notice a swerving car heading our way. It was too late when we noticed it. It was already headed my way. In my shock, I couldn't move. And that was when Fuji's younger brother pushed me in order to try to save me. But we were both still hit by the car."

Ryoma's eyes widened.

"Fuji's younger brother took the full brunt of the crash and he died on the spot. I only got injured. In fact, that's where I got this arm injury," he indicated the cast on his left arm.

After a few minutes passed, Ryoma slowly asked, "So that's why he's in grief? Because his younger brother died?"

"No."

Ryoma raised an eyebrow at that.

"Well, in a way, yes. Of course he was sad that his brother died. But he was more hurt by the fact that he couldn't do anything. At that time, he was just standing there, taking in the dreadful scene before him."

"And the challenges are his way of coping with it?"

"Yes. That's why I didn't interfere much. I only stop him when he goes overboard with it. It's because I feel guilty too, if it weren't for my carelessness that day. And also that's why I told you not to think too badly of him."

"Oh…"

Ryoma blankly stared at the fence. 'So that's why…'

The vaguely open rooftop door closes slowly. Sounds of feet shuffling can be heard.

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Later, Ryoma slowly walked down the corridors of the school, intending to go home. He paid no heed to the busy students who were chatting about the upcoming Saturday school dance. Which happened to be tomorrow.

Some male students were asking some girls nicely, others were pleading for their lives.

He frowned as the PDA (Public Display of Asking) disrupted his deep thoughts. 'They're so annoying… Why do they need to make a big show of it?'

'And what's the dance for? It's just another waste of money. But then, these people are rich anyway…'

'Heh… I better hurry home now… No one's going to ask me anyway…'

Now that his head was free from the PDAs and stupid guys, his thoughts turned back to a certain annoying brunette.

'After hearing Fuji's situation from Tezuka, I can't help but pity that guy. Yet here I am challenging him… But his request is absurd! There's no way I can be his 'girlfriend!'

His train of thoughts was interrupted when he spotted the person giving him headaches and high-blood pressures walking over to him.

"What is it now?"

Fuji smiled. "Well, you see the Saturday school dance is coming up…"

"And?"

"Will you go with me?"

"WHAT!?"

To be continued…

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**Okay, everyone… You can start berating at me now…**

**Seriously, this chapter is weird. It's become suspense and too serious when this is supposed to be humor/romance. The pacing is too fast and the hurried state of giving out secrets makes it confusing and annoying… Argh! What has come over me?**

**Sigh… Not to mention a lot of them were OOC… Sigh…**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter even if it happens to be only .0000001 percent…**

**Still, I'm proud to say that as of um… May 26, 2008, this is the longest chapter I've ever written…**

**Thank you for reading and reviewing the story!**

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**--Messages to Reviewers:**

**--ShadowDancer666**

**-**Yup! I totally agree XD I like Atobe too, don't worry, it won't bother me when you rant about him XD

**--SkySurf**

**-**Hahaha… I couldn't help putting your suggestion in. Those cacti were really fit to be Fuji's present XD Thanks!

--**GwangFei**

**-**It really will…

**--x-FantasyBlossom-x-**

**-**Thank you! Um… I don't really think they're IC in here… Since this is AU… Oh… Well… I'm both Pillar and Thrill fan so it tends to mix up sometimes. And also, there's the fact that I often type my stories at the same time and after typing a Pillar story, I suddenly jump to a Thrill Pair one. It really does tend to mix up.

**--MoroiAme**

-I've been thinking about it too. If I get enough encouragement, I might do a Pillar Pair version of this once I'm done with most of my stories and when I have time.

That was done on purpose. As for the other Seigaku players that I haven't introduced yet… Watch out for them!

As for that plot twist you mentioned, it would make the plot even more complicated than it is. If you read this chapter, you can see a lot of complications already. And it has a lot to do with "last summer…"

**--Haru Cherry**

**-**Thank you! I'm glad you found it amusing… And yes, Fuji is the MOST persistent guy in the world here XD

**--Yin-san**

-XD I'll try. I've been busy a lot lately.

**--rebeccasanfujieijilvr**

-Yay! XD

**--rebabe**

**-**Okay…

**--DemonGirl13**

**-**Thank you!

**--Firey**

**-**My mind is too drained because of the complications here… XD But really, I'll try my best to make this story unique.

**--Tenshi**

**-**There's more to come. Hehe…

**--Akitsuki Akira**

-He's not bad, actually… He's just… troubled. It really will remind you of Hana Yori Dango, trust me.

Love triangle? Sort of. But the pairing is definite.

Oh you bet, I will too XD. Those four are bishounen!!

And did I really influence you like that? (blushes) Ahehe… Well, I'm glad… Um… Even if you don't like shounen-ai, I'm glad you still read this story.

**--CockyBrat45**

**-**Um… Where has it been? Um… In fanfiction? XD

**--kurokage12**

**-**Okay…

**--starz4evr**

**-**Okay…

**--i luv hott emo guys**

**-**Thank you!!

--**LitoJeLLo.x**

**-**Well, you're right about that XD… Here's the update, that I finally had time to type…

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**Sigh… Well, I have nothing to say about the next chapter, except that there's a VERY HUGE FujixRyoma moment there.**

**What that moment will be… Well, you just have to wait, of course! But then you might already have a clue, with the cliffhanger left behind in this chapter… Hmm? Hehehe…**

**  
See ya in the next chapter!**

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